House Doesn't Mean Home
by CarolineKenello
Summary: Gray's first time in his new house in Fiore after joining Fairy Tail. But despite how exciting and awesome it is, the place is just...too empty. Young Fairy Tail childhood story.


**Thanks for reading! Hope you like it.**

 **So I may not be writing Fairy Tail stuff as much since I'm not really feeling like Fairy Tail lately. But there is a chance I'm going to start writing Noragami stories which would be really fun and I do plan on finishing everything I've already posted. But eventually when I get into the mood of writing for Fairy Tail again I do have a new story idea planned that I think will work out pretty well, but until then, hopefully I'll have some other stuff to post. Sorry FT fans...**

 **I'll still try to post whatever stories I write that are any good. Hopefully this one is good, because I wasn't sure about it for a long time. Could be because I haven't felt like FT.**

 **So hopefully it worked out okay. I hope you all have a great day and thanks so much for reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

House Doesn't Mean Home

"Ice make Lance!" The young boy shouted, moving his hands swiftly as to be able to cast enough spells before the enemies got to him first.

"Ice make geyser!" He shouted as he sent a sharp geyser made of ice at another enemy.

The two men fell back, landing further away from the battered but smug looking boy, who was dressed only in a pair of black pants and a single ripped up sock.

"What were you saying about it 'not being possible to be beaten by a messy foolish little brat?" The boy asked tauntingly using their previous statement against them, still just as smug.

"How were we supposed to know a little brat could be a strong mage...?" One of the men moaned as he rubbed his sore head.

"I'm a member of Fairy Tail. So next time you want to go around trying to steal people's dogs outta their yards and away from their home and families, be warned that you will _never_ get away with it." The boy warned, his voice angry and his dark eyes shon with determination.

"Fairy Tail..." The man whispered, noticing the blue guild mark stamped on the boy's bare chest. "I've heard of that guild."

"It's the _strongest_ guild, so don't-" The boy started.

An unexpected fist came down onto the boy's head from behind, causing raven-haired boy to stumble and fall dizzily to the cold rocky ground. The boy rolled onto his back and was just about to push up and get up, but the woman held a sword to his neck, causing him to freeze, his dark blue eyes focusing on the blade and then back up at the lady.

"What's your name, brat?" The woman snapped.

"Why should I tell you?" The boy asked with a mischievous smirk, as he moved his hands in familiar motions causing thick ice to cover the lady's sword freezing it with thick ice making it no longer sharp.

The lady smacked the freezing sword down at the boy, who cried out as the ice covered and now dulled blade hit him.

Losing his concentration from the blow, his ice smashed off and revealing the shining sharp metal blade.

The boy bit his lip slightly, as his eyes moved to the young dog that was still tangled up in a net; other than being scared, the dog seemed to be fine.

"I asked what is your name? And if you try any more stupid stunts like that again..." The woman threatened.

"Can I ask why you want my name so bad?" The young ice mage asked quietly.

The woman's glare was all the answer he needed.

"Fine..." The boy muttered, discretely moving his hands slightly. "But I'm not allowed to talk to strangers..." He added, buying his time. Even though there _had_ been a time where that rule had definitely applied, he wasn't sure about whether it did now...

"But you're allowed to attack them and get involved with things that are none of your business? I'm not buying it." The lady said. "You're just a rotten little brat."

"No." The boy said evenly. "I'm just standing up for a innocent little puppy!" He shouted as he grasped the swords blade with both hands, and rapidly froze the tip.

"Ice make shield!" The boy shouted, creating a shield of ice that trapped the swords tip in it.

But the lady was strong, and pulled her sword free and swung it at the boy.

"Ice make geyser!" The boy shouted, sending it at the lady. "Ice make hammer!"

After barely dodging the ice geyser and stumbling the lady got hit by the hammer, it knocking her sword away from her.

The boy quickly forced his exhausted legs to move quickly, fearing the lady would retrieve the sword first, he slammed his small fist onto his other flat open hand, and slammed them onto the ground.

"Ice make floor!" He shouted, and slid speedily across the ice, and reached for the fallen sword...

"Got it!" He exclaimed as he lifted the large sword off the ground and pointed it at the lady whose arm was reaching towards it, but she withdrew her arm as the boy pointed it at her chest. "Surrender yet?" The boy asked after a few breaths.

The woman scowled, but seeing no way out of this she glared at the black haired boy.

"You're just a spoiled little brat!" She spat, but seeing how the insult seemed to have no affect on the boy, she looked at the boy up and down.

The boy, as strong as he was, wasn't even wearing a shirt, or shoes, only pants and a sock. Just _one_ sock, and it was dirty and slightly ripped looking. Perhaps spoiled wasn't the right word...perhaps it was more the opposite.

"You're just a poor little jerk with no home or friends!" The lady spat nastily.

Something in the boy's eyes seemed to shift slightly. Something seemed different. The lady smiled at her success.

"I bet you're just a filthy brat off the streets with no home or friends or family!" The lady snapped.

The boy flinched, the changed look in his eyes more obvious. He looked like he was getting upset.

The lady smiled.

After a moment of the sad hurt look in the boy's eyes, they shifted into a cold icy glare.

"Shut up!" The boy shouted, startling the lady.

"Aww, is the poor messed up little street boy going to go crying back to his guild master for some comfort since he has no one and nowhere else to go to?" One of the men mocked from behind.

"Don't push the kid to kill her." The other man warned.

The lady suddenly seemed nervous at the idea, since the boy _did_ have a sword to her throat.

The boy grimaced but otherwise seemed to ignore the two men, keeping his icy glare on the lady who was starting to look nervous.

"Don't be stupid. I ain't killing anyone." The boy said, though his icy glare did not waver. "That's not how we Fairy Tail members do things. But I can knock you out, freeze you solid, and take you in and you'll get in trouble with the knights of Fiore or whatever it is that would happen to you for being so bad." The boy explained.

The men quickly exchanged looks, and got to their feet in an attempt to run. But seeing this, the boy turned around and quickly froze the ground under them and they fell to the ground, knocked out.

The boy quickly turned back to the lady, but she was almost back on her feet. The boy quickly swung a punch at her with his free hand, making her fall back into a sitting position and then the boy swung the sword stopping just at her throat.

"You're one lonely lost little jerk. I bet you're going to be alone forever, at least after your guild leaves you-" The lady started, but stopped when she couldn't move her legs.

"Don't talk bad about Fairy Tail." The boy said icily. "And never pick on puppies, or anyone ever again!" He said sounding angry and sort of upset as he continued to freeze the shocked lady.

The lady glared at him as the ice covered her shoulders with incredible speed.

"Who are you?" She asked, her expression turned more to shock and fear than her earlier behaviour, not understanding how the boy was still _winning_ when he was only a mere _child_ and with how she suspected of what she said about him being alone had started to affect him.

The boy stopped freezing her at her neck and paused to think for a moment.

"I'm Gray." He said after a moment, glancing towards the dog as he said it. "Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail." He said to the lady's face.

And with that, he froze the rest of the woman's head knocking her unconscious and turned to untangle the puppy they'd been trying to steal.

The puppy licked him and jumped up at him happily, until Gray stood up from his kneeling position and tossed the net into a trash can.

"Come on little guy. Let's go get you home, then I'll tell Gramps where these creeps are and get em locked up so you can be safe and I can get the reward." Gray said as he petted the puppy, and picked it up and carried it back to the house it'd been taken from the yard of, making the owners both aware of what happened, but extremely happy and relieved to have their puppy safe and sound back home where it belonged.

And Gray headed back to the Guild, despite how exhausted he was from going on so many jobs that day.

But maybe...just maybe he'd earned enough to earn Gramp's deal, that was if Gray earned a certain amount, then Gramps would help Gray buy himself a home.

He figured it was mostly to show he was responsible enough that he'd be able to handle his own home and eventually being able to pay it off when the time came.

"F-finished...!" Gray exclaimed short of breath as he collapsed at the guild's bar where Makarov was sitting up in one of the bar stools.

Gray shoved the reward money and mission papers, practically everything that was in his pockets at his guild master as the exhausted boy slid down onto the floor, hoping that he'd managed to do what Gramps had wanted him to do.

After he'd caught his breath, he pushed himself onto his hands and knees and looked up at his guild master hopefully.

"Is it enough?" He asked tightening his hands into fists.

"Enough to buy a whole house? Don't be silly." The guild master said.

Gray's face fell.

 _Never should've gotten so hopeful_. The boy thought sadly.

Suddenly Makarov smiled at the disappointed looking boy, already aware that the boy's past had lasting effects on him, and knew that the boy needed a home that he could consider _permanent_. Unlike the boy's previous homes he'd lived in, and lost.

Makarov didn't know all the details, but he knew the main idea, and the young boy had lost two homes already.

But he wouldn't be losing this one. Fairy Tail would always be here for its members.

"Don't look so down." Makarov added. "It's nowhere near enough for a whole house, but I never said you had to come up with enough to buy a whole house did I?" Makarov explained seeing the boy's expression brighten. "This is slightly more than I asked of you. Great job Gray."

Gray felt his heart pound in excitement. He was going to get his own house after all! He wouldn't be staying just at the guild or in a rented apartment or at another guild-mates place. He was going to have is _own_ place! All to himself!

"I...did it?" Gray asked making sure he heard right.

Makarov nodded smiling confidently.

"Yes!" Gray exclaimed, getting up off the floor.

"I've already found two good places that you'll be able to choose from. One is more expensive, and the other was cheaper due to its...unique design." Makarov explained. "I'll take you to see them and then you and Natsu can decide which ones you want." He added.

Gray felt worry sink in.

"Natsu?" He asked.

"Yeah. I figured since you've both proved how efficiently you can complete your jobs, with the exception of your reckless close calls and a few of Natsu's missions, where he caused too much damage and destruction to the properties...I thought I might as well get you both into better living arrangements while I'm at it." Makarov explained.

Gray stared his mouth open slightly. He'd been in the guild for longer than _that_ _Pinky_ , what if they couldn't agree on who got which house?

"But Gramps... we can't even get along! How would we-" Gray started but was cut off as Makarov turned to Natsu, who had just come over, not looking nearly as tired as Gray.

"Yo Gramps! Here ya go." Natsu said placing a bag onto the table.

Gray glanced at the dragon-slayer who was smiling at their guild-master eagerly.

"Well..." Gramps started, a slight hesitant look on his face. "It seems you've definitely managed to help make up for some of the jobs you messed up. Would you be able to keep this kind of work up for a long time?" Mavarov asked the shorter boy.

"Um...for how long do ya mean?" The pink-haired boy replied.

Gray had an urge to answer the other but in a coldish way with an insult at the end, but he held back. He couldn't afford to get in trouble with Gramps or Erza right now.

"As much as possible. We're talking _years_ , Natsu." Makarov answered, his voice serious. "You'll have to be able to pay it off completely eventually. Slowly but still it's a lot of money."

"Whoa...Yeah! I can do that! I mean...I'd still have to have time to hang out with everyone, but yeah!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Very good then. I'll take you two to go see the houses I've found in a little while. Until then, go have some much deserved rest." Makarov said looking at the two boys.

Gray nodded and started away tiredly, as he walked to his usual seat in the guild hall, and collapsed onto it.

"Wow, you look sleepy, droopy-eyes." Natsu commented, standing in front of the ice mage.

"That's because I've been working all day..." Gray replied sleepily, then he added, "squinty eyes."

"Well, me too. But it looks like it's really paid off. I can believe with just a few months I'm gonna have a cool place to live! You excited for yours?" Natsu asked.

"Course." Gray said, looking up at his rival. "I've been working everyday for like a year for this."

"A year?" Natsu repeated. "No wonder you're tired."

Gray facepalmed and sighed.

"I've stopped to rest plenty of times you know..." Gray said in annoyance. "So...how'd you get enough in only _months_?" Gray asked. "I've been working towards this for like a _year_."

"I just did lots of jobs everyday and Gramps said I can do it. How much are houses anyways?" Natsu asked, obviously not quite as informed about the whole ordeal as Gray was.

"Way too much..." Gray complained.

"Hey, what's going on?" Cana asked as she strolled Into the guild and took a seat beside Gray.

"I'm finally gonna get my own house." Gray answered perking up a bit.

"Wow!" Cana exclaimed. But then added, "We could do sleepovers!"

Gray dropped back onto the table with a groan.

"How many jobs did ya do?" Natsu asked seeing the boy was clearly exhausted.

"Lost count." Gray muttered.

"Neat. I don't remember how many I did...I think it was something like seventeen...?" Natsu said hesitantly. "It's always sevens." He added somewhat darkly.

"He means to say he doesn't remember." Gray whispered to Cana, who laughed slightly.

"I heard that freezer-brain!" Natsu exclaimed, knowing very well what the boy said. "Fight me!" Natsu added swinging a punch at Gray.

Natsu's fist collided with something hard and metal.

"Ow!" He exclaimed.

"No fighting. Clearly you're both in no state for that." Erza said firmly.

"Huh?" Natsu muttered incredulously.

Erza turned to Gray.

"First Natsu goes around pushing himself way too hard so he can get a house, so I had to tell him to slow down, and now you're pushing yourself way too hard _again_. What am I supposed to do with you two?" Erza asked her gaze turning back at the two boys.

"Well I made sure to slow down a little bit." Natsu pointed out nervously.

"You wouldn't have to be so exhausted and laying around if you didn't push yourself so hard. You could get-" Erza started continuing to lecture Gray, but paused as she saw Gray reach for a glass of water that Cana was passing to him.

"Stop!" Erza exclaimed taking the cup and placing it down on the table.

Cana shrugged and backed up slightly.

"What? Im thirsty!" Gray protested.

Erza didn't reply right away, instead she grabbed Gray's hand and started looking at it.

"And of _course_ you hurt your hands. Show me the other one." Erza commanded.

"But I was just-" Gray started, but Erza snatched his hand anyway.

Gray gave a small scowl as he watched Natsu nervously try to slip away as Erza was fussing all over his hands. Gray didn't know why she had to make such a big deal of things.

"Well, you've not only managed to slice up you palms a bit but you haven't even washed them..." Erza said, forcefully showing the boy's injured hands from when he'd grabbed that evil lady's blade of her sword with his hands, to Cana.

"Ouch. That looks pretty sore." Cana replied.

"Exactly." Erza said. "Natsu." Erza said as if she were commanding a soldier or something, making the pink-haired boy jump, and then he hurried closer to her obediently.

"Yes Erza?" He asked.

"You and Cana make sure he stays put and doesn't move his hands until I get back with something to clean and bandage his wounds." Erza commanded.

Natsu nodded, and Cana shrugged glancing at Gray.

"She throws so much of a fit over nothin'" Gray muttered.

"She's your friend and she wants to make you feel better. And you think _I'm_ stupid." Natsu muttered back.

"Oh _yeah?_ " Gray exclaimed standing up from his seat.

"Yup." Natsu replied as Cana pulled Gray back into his chair to avoid the two getting into another of there big fights.

"Do you think it'd be bad if we just had a quick fight before she gets back?" Natsu asked the other two.

Gray rolled his eyes and glanced away. Cana nodded.

"Yes." Cana replied.

"You think we could have a quick fight?" Natsu asked excitedly.

"No." Cana said firmly. "Yes it would be bad. Gray's hurt his hands." Cana reminded him.

"Right..." Natsu replied.

"Alright. I've got the stuff." Erza called as she approached the table.

Cana and Natsu stepped out of the way as Erza started to clean Gray's scrapes. Gray winced as it stung but said nothing in fear that Erza would get mad or violent.

"You really need to take better care of yourself." He heard her whisper.

"Come on...it was a fight. Stuff like this happens. They're not that bad anyway." Gray replied.

"They would get super bad if they got infected. And you didn't clean them so I think my point is proven." She argued.

"Whatever." Gray grumbled as Erza finished fixing up his injured hands.

When Erza finished wrapping bandages around the cuts, she stepped back and inspected her work. When she was convinced that she'd done it well, she smiled at her friends.

"Now all you need is rest and to not use your hands too much until they've healed." She said commandingly.

Gray frowned slightly.

"At least stop pushing yourself so hard on doing so many tough jobs. You're allowed to take a day off or rest once in awhile." Erza insisted.

Gray nodded hoping he was almost done with being lectured. Erza watched him suspiciously for a moment and then then smiled and nodded approvingly.

"Gray! Natsu!" Makarov called. "You two ready?"

"Yeah!" Gray called suddenly excited.

"What's going on?" Erza asked.

"We're getting our own houses!" Natsu exclaimed.

"That's cool..." Erza started, figuring it would've been easier and less hard on the two boys had they just chosen a rental place like how she lived in Fairy Hills, the girls dormitory that had lower rent prices because it was made for the fairy tail members. But she figured those two just wanted something bigger for whatever hyper activities they wanted to do. They were so strange and reckless. But she loved them like they were her little brothers anyway. Not that she'd ever told them that, though she did always make a point telling them not to fight because Fairy Tail was like a family.

"See ya later!" Natsu shouted, grasping Gray's arm and pulling him back to Gramps before Erza could give them another lecture about living alone or having your own house or the overall problem that she didn't always think they took the best care of themselves.

Erza lecturing Gray, Natsu understood. But he didn't think it made sense to scold him when he hadn't gotten himself hurt on his missions despite maybe overdoing it like Gray had, and of course for a few jobs he'd messed up by getting distracted and not finishing the job properly the first time.

Finally they were going. Makarov led the two boys through town on their way to the more expensive house.

Gray followed silently as Natsu asked Makarov a few questions, then he turned to Gray.

"Hey, you still thirsty?" Natsu asked Gray.

"Well no one would let me get a drink." Gray grumbled quietly.

"Here." Natsu said shoving the glass at the ice mage.

"Uh...thanks." Gray muttered hesitantly taking the glass.

It appeared to be the same one he had asked Cana for...

"You didn't do anything to it did you?" Gray asked suspiciously.

"I grabbed it off the table as we rushed out. I spilled a little bit on the floor so hopefully Erza won't be mad about that. But it wasn't much so it's probably f-" Natsu explained but Gray cut him off.

"Okay. Thanks." He said and then he drank the water.

"Here we are." Makarov said leading them inside.

The place was pretty nice. But Gray tried not to get too hopeful since there was a chance Natsu was going to be getting this place. It was pretty much empty except for the appliances and some furniture.

"Did you get this place all ready?" Natsu asked.

"Only the essentials." Makarov answered, after all, he was paying for most of the places until the boys would slowly pay it off. As talented Wizards the boys were, they were still children, and Makarov didn't expect the two to fully take on all the responsibility right away. Already some of the children in the guild seemed to have sides to them in which their pasts had forced them to try to grow up too fast anyway.

After awhile they headed out to the next one, which was the cheaper one.

When they got inside, Gray gaped at the inside with his mouth open.

From the outside it hadn't looked too bad, but now that he was inside it...he could see that right in the inside of the house, there was a tree growing inside it.

Not the typical potted tree that people sometimes had, but a _tree_. Growing out from the ground with floorboards almost everywhere else. Plus the tree branches were growing out of the upstairs walls stretching just outside so that it could be seen but Gray had just happened to miss it at first glance.

 _No way could did he want to use the year's worth of savings to buy a house with a tree growing inside it! A freaking tree! Didn't Gramps realize how many bugs that would bring in?_

Plus being from Isvan where it was typically colder than here, there weren't quite as many bugs and insects and Gray didn't like the idea of sleeping with mosquitoes and ants and wasps and bees.

Meanwhile Natsu was staring around the place, his eyes thoughtful looking.

 _Great_. Gray thought sarcastically. _Now he's gonna want the other one and he'll probably get it since everyone seems to like him best_.

Gray startled at his own thoughts. Sure he knew he'd been slightly hurt by the fact that ever since Natsu had joined Fairy Tail that Gildarts, the first Fairy Tail member Gray had ever met and used to spend lots of time with, had immediately taken a liking to Natsu and started spending more time with Natsu than with Gray.

Until he seemed to barely do _anything_ with Gray at all anymore.

Gray quickly shoved those thoughts away. He didn't want to start getting upset when he was with Natsu and Gramps. He had to hold it in and not think about it. _Any of it._

When they were done they all went back to the guildhall. Gray had stayed mostly quiet for the rest of the time, earning him a few weird glances from Natsu.

Makarov then asked to speak to each of the boys separately to find out what they thought of each of the houses, so that he could hear what they said without the two getting into their usual big fights or constant bickering.

Afterwards the two boys sat outside waiting for Makarov to come get them and tell them what the plan was.

"So..." Natsu started. "Which house did you like best?"

Gray remained silent.

"You know, Gramps said we had to work out which one we both wanted. And it sounds like you were just kinda grumpy again. Did you not like them?" Natsu asked.

"I'm _not_ grumpy." Gray argued glaring at the other boy.

"Upset?" Natsu asked.

Gray turned away.

"Wanna fight?" Natsu asked, seeing that the conversation was getting him nowhere.

Gray turned and swung his fist at Natsu, who dodged quickly.

"What are you two doing?" A familiar voice asked from behind them.

Both boys stopped immediately and glanced at Erza.

Natsu felt panic rise inside him as he tried to think of an excuse so that Erza would beat them up for fighting, but Gray beat him to it.

"We're playing tag. Wanna play?" He asked her.

Erza smiled suddenly.

"I knew you two could be friends if you'd both just stop fighting for once." The scarlet-haired girl beamed happily as she stepped closer to the two boys, hugging them both. "Great job!" She said proudly. "And sorry, I can't join in your game right now. I have some things to do, but how about this, once you two decide which houses you're going to move into, we'll go to one of them and celebrate all together and play tons of games." Erza suggested, even though it was obvious enough that it was pretty much decided.

"Uh...yeah." Gray stammered awkwardly as Erza finished hugging them, rather too tightly.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Natsu exclaimed. "Let's do it!"

"Great. See you then." Erza said.

As soon as she was out of sight, both boys let out a sigh of relief. Still in sync, both boys gave each other irritated looks. Realizing they were doing the same thing they both smiled, but then remembering how they always fought, both boys scowled and looked away from the other.

Both were quiet, lost in their own thoughts for a moment, until Gray spoke up.

"So...where do you want to live?" Natsu asked again his expression oddly nervous.

"Doesn't matter." Gray muttered quietly causing Natsu's eyes to widen for a moment.

Gray quickly pulled himself out of his doubt-filled bad mood and sighed.

"I know we'll never agree, maybe we could have a contest or a fight and the winner could get the better one, but we always end up in a tie...usually..." Gray stammered.

"Which one!" Natsu exploded unable to contain his worry. "You've been working towards this longer and you have more money than I do but I just wanna know which one you like! And yeah we can totally fight for it!" Natsu exclaimed.

Gray grinned slightly then sighed.

"The first one." He said.

He had expected the fight they'd just agreed to, to start up immediately. But instead, the ice mage heard a loud sigh.

"Yes!" Natsu exclaimed relieved at his answer.

"Huh?" Gray muttered as he glanced in confusion at the fire dragon-slayer mage.

"Well I didn't really want that one." Natsu explained.

"Why not?" Gray asked dumbfounded.

"Because...because it's all weird and different..." Natsu stammered.

" _Huh_?" Gray repeated.

"The second house was just so awesome! It was out in the woods a bit more, and it has that awesome tree inside! It's the coolest! And it's more like my old home with Igneel, even though _that_ was a cave, but the other one is just...way too...too _different_." Natsu explained.

Gray stared at Natsu a moment longer.

"What about..." Gray started, planning to warn Natsu about the bug idea and all those problems, but he decided it might be better to let Natsu figure that out on his own since he was willingly choosing the weird house.

Why ruin his chance when Natsu seemed so excited and relieved about the house with the tree growing out of it? Besides Natsu had slept in a cave, so he'd be okay with bugs maybe, right?

"I...have no idea why you prefer that house...but..." Gray started slowly. "That's awesome!" Gray exclaimed.

"Lets go tell Gramps!" Natsu shouted happily practically bursting with excitement as he jumped to his feet.

Gray nodded and they hurried into the guild to tell Master Makarov the good news.

"Well that's great news." Makarov replied. "I'll see about having you two move into the places as soon as possible."

A week later Gray gathered up the few small belongings he possessed, which wasn't much since everything he used to have was destroyed with his old home in Isvan, and hurried to his new house.

Makarov had given Gray and Natsu the keys to their new homes only minutes ago and Gray couldn't wait to have his own house! His own home!

Gray raced towards the house and stopped outside it as he reached it. Smiling he ran up to the front step and pulled out the key.

He'd never had a key to his own house or even his bedroom when he lived in Isvan.

He carefully put the key into the lock and turned, and swung the door open.

Smiling at the large space around him he jumped in the air in excitement and ran around to explore the place.

"I have my own house!" Gray shouted in excitement as he ran around the house.

Reaching the bedroom, he stopped running and shouting excitedly and collapsed onto his new bed, after he caught his breath he excitedly added, "And my own room!"

When his panting from running around and shouting excitedly calmed, Gray felt a slight stinging in his heart.

He sat up on the bed and looked around.

With some work he could make this place really awesome. But somehow...he felt something was missing. Suddenly he felt less excited at the strange feeling and he got out his backpack and gathered up its contents, and halfheartedly set them up wherever he wanted.

Still something felt wrong.

 _What's wrong with me...?_ Gray wondered miserably. _I bet Natsu is having fun setting up his house and not feeling so...weird...and yucky. Why do I always feel like this?_

Gray let out a heavy sigh, and wandered around the house a bit longer. Something felt wrong with it all right. But he wasn't sure what it was. It felt very familiar, yet he didn't think he'd felt like this back at the guild this morning.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Forcing his emotions down, he rushed towards the front door, trying his best to put up some fake excitement.

Gray pulled open the door, and peeked carefully outside.

"Hi...?" Gray asked as he peeked out slightly, being cautious.

"Hi Gray! How's your new place?" It was Cana, and she smiled cheerfully at him as she asked, clearly unable to see passed Gray's faked smile.

"It's awesome! Pretty big, and I don't have to let anyone in!" Gray exclaimed.

Cana looked at him with a look that was a mix between irritation and disappointment.

"Can I come in and see?" Cana asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure!" Gray replied smiling mischievously at her.

Cana shook her head in minor irritation. Then Gray followed Cana around as they looked around at the house.

"Looks pretty nice. Really empty though." Cana replied. "You don't have a lot of stuff in here do you?" She asked him.

"Well...I guess not." Gray answered quietly.

"Looks pretty awesome though." Cana said admiring the house.

"I have my own house." Gray said, trying to bring back his lost excitement.

"Yup, you sure do!" Cana replied.

After a few moments of wandering around, Gray turned to Cana.

"You said it felt empty? Any ideas what would be the best way to fix that part?" Gray asked, hoping to get some kind of answer that could make his excitement return and his heartache feeling disappear.

"There's just not much in here." Cana answered. "Maybe you should put things you really like in it, make it look like you live here. You know, maybe anything you really like." Cana explained.

"Oh...okay. Yeah." Gray replied, feeling like whatever he was feeling felt wrong wasn't quite the same as what Cana thought made it feel empty.

"You've got your own home now." Cana told him as they went back downstairs. "Think we could do sleepovers and play days and all sorts of fun stuff? I mean...living In Fairy Hills, I can't really let you come over since it's only for girls but we could maybe hang out here sometimes." Cana asked.

"Yeah, sure. I guess so..." Gray muttered.

"Cool!" Cana said heading towards the front door. "Oh and one more thing!" She started.

"Yeah?" Gray asked halfheartedly.

"Erza said that we're having a party at Natsu's place." She explained.

"That's cool, have fun." Gray replied, feeling mixed feelings about the subject.

Cana frowned slightly. "You're coming aren't you?" She asked.

"Uh...me being invited to Natsu's house? Come on, like that's going to happen. We always just fight." He dismissed.

"But Erza said you were coming. Everyone seems to be coming. I mean, at least of us kids." Cana explained.

"Oh...uh...right..." Gray muttered.

"See you in a few hours?" Cana asked.

"Uh...yeah..." Gray stammered. "I guess..." he added as Cana smiled and closed the door behind her, leaving Gray alone to think about how he could show up at Natsu's house and not feel too awkward or out of place while he also had to figure out why his new house felt so empty.

A few hours later Gray hesitantly got ready and headed out to Natsu's new house for the apparent party that Erza was throwing.

He wasn't really sure he even wanted to go, but he figured if he didn't make some kind of appearance then Erza would probably pile him up with questions, or at least come and drag him there. Unless he faked being sick or something. But that could be risky if Erza were to figure it out.

So Gray headed to Natsu's new house anyway.

When he arrived he reached out hesitantly and knocked on the door.

Gray backed away a little from the door. Suddenly it swung open.

From hours of wandering around in his new house thinking in the strange silence, Gray startled as the door swung open by a distracted scarlet-haired girl and the blasting noises of loud happy and excited voices.

"You finally made it!" Erza said turning to him breathing heavily, before turning back to the inside of the house.

"Natsu! Come on! You're supposed to answer the door when people knock. Gray's here for the party!" She called to the pink haired boy, who at first glanced up startled and then he hurried over towards her.

"Aye?" He panted.

Clearly he'd been rough housing quite a bit.

Erza looked thoughtful as she look him up and down.

"Its a little impolite to leave guests waiting." Erza scolded.

"Okay Erza. It was just so fun and I forgot that I'm supposed to open it if someone knocks on it. Seriously why don't they just come in?" Natsu asked.

Gray facepalmed at the younger boy's question. He'd say stupid, but even though it was kinda dumb, he supposed they couldn't really judge him on that since the guy lived in a cave where there were never doors.

Erza sighed.

"Don't worry. We'll go over the rules and everything you need to know about having your own house tomorrow after the party." Erza said.

"Sounds good." Natsu replied, then he flashed a toothy grin at his new visitor. "Bet you're going to wish you'd gotten mine when you see how much fun we're having."

"I doubt it." Gray muttered.

"What're you waiting for?" Natsu asked his voice suddenly loud and bursting with excitement. "It's time for our first ever fight!" He shouted.

Erza startled at the ridiculous announcement.

Gray stared at Natsu in utter confusion.

The two fought pretty much every time they were in the same room with each other. Their first fight had been not long after they'd first introduced themselves.

"What're you talking about?" Gray asked.

"I thought I said no fighting." Erza pushed in raising a hand.

Natsu chuckled mischievously and grabbed Gray's arm, pulling the startled young ice mage into the house and towards the party.

"No fighting you two!" Erza called. She had to shout to get her voice to be heard by both the boys over the excited chatter and games of the other children who were in Fairy Tail.

Gray yanked himself free of the young dragon slayer and glanced towards him to remind him of what Erza said; but he was interrupted by a pillow hitting into him so hard along with Natsu's fists slightly and he fell to the ground his mind suddenly remembering the last time he'd had pillow fights.

Natsu stared down at the ice mage in confusion. Wasn't Gray supposed to just jump back at him? Instead he seemed...odd.

Still on the floor Gray gazed ahead sightlessly, his mind focussed on old memories.

Bitting his lip he attempted to force down his memories of the times he'd ended up having pillow fights with Lyon...Lyon wasn't here and was never coming back.

Gray sucked in a breath as he tried to force away the painful memories of when he'd messed up and ruined his teacher's dream and lost Lyon as a friend that honestly could've been like a big brother. An annoying one, but perhaps something like that anyway. But all that was gone forever.

Gray glanced up and his eyes met with the fire dragon slayer's confused expression.

Despite himself Gray forced a fake but mischievous grin.

Natsu's confusion faded away as he smiled back, figuring he had just caught Gray off guard with his pillow attack.

Gray swung his arms out to grab the pillow and at the same time swung his legs out to trip Natsu.

Natsu reached for the pillow, but Gray's kick knocked him off balance and he tried to get his footing but doing so he fell forwards instead of back...landing right on top of Gray.

"Ow! Get off of me pinky!" Gray exclaimed.

Gray shoved Natsu, who got up off of Gray and smiled as he saw all the smiling people having fun.

"Everyone's sure having a lot of fun." Gray observed.

"Course!" Natsu shouted excitedly. "Come on!" Natsu added as he ran to join in some games with the other children from Fairy Tail.

"Okay." Gray replied nodding, but hesitated as he glanced around at all the happy faces.

 _I don't get it...why does Natsu's place feel so much different...why did my place feel so...empty...? ...and yet Natsu's place which has a tree growing in the middle of it doesn't feel so weird...maybe it's just me..._

Gray shrugged shaking his head side to side and he wandered through he crowd, thinking he was following Natsu, until he banged into someone.

Fear arose inside of him when he glanced up to find a scarlet-haired girl gazing at him, a look of annoyance suddenly changing into something of almost concern?

Gray wasn't sure, scrambling back a bit he tried to apologize.

"S-sorry Erza. I didn't mean to-" he started, but Erza held up a hand and grabbed his arm, pulling him further from the crowd.

Gray yanked free and glared at her bitterly.

"What do ya want? I said I was sorry." Gray grumbled.

Her next question caught him off guard.

"Are you okay?" Erza asked him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Gray half-lied.

"You're acting strange. You disappointed the party wasn't at your place?" Erza asked.

"Nah. I wouldn't want to be stuck cleaning up after everyone." Gray replied.

Erza suddenly whipped around and bopped the black-haired boy on the head, causing him to back away from her in fear.

"What was that for?!" Gray demanded.

"Maybe not everyone, but you and I are going to stay afterwards and help Natsu clean up. He's never lived in a house before, we are most certainly _not_ going to mess up his house and leave him to deal with it." Erza scolded.

"But that ain't fair! I haven't even made a mess!" Gray protested.

"What did you say? Do you have a problem with helping out our friends when they need it? Have you forgotten that the guild is supposed to be like a family?" Erza asked her voice edged with a dangerous anger.

"N-no Erza! We all help clean up okay, I got it." Gray said hurriedly.

"Good." Erza replied.

"Even though I didn't make any stupid messes." Gray muttered bitterly.

"What did you say?" Erza asked.

"N-nothing!" Gray exclaimed in fear. "Just...I wasn't really sure I wanted to come." He added honestly.

"Oh really? Why not?" Erza asked, her dangerous tone completely gone now.

"I don't know...just...got to figure something out i guess." Gray replied unclearly. "To be honest if you hadn't suggested this whole thing then I would've wondered whether you were coming or not." Gray added.

"Well parties are supposed to be fun. I wanted to try celebrating with everyone for a change. You know, to see what it's like." Erza explained.

"I figured. You just...well you said you didn't like crowds much." Gray replied carefully, the memories of when he'd found Erza crying by the river flooding back to him from all those months ago.

"True enough." Erza agreed.

 _She's kind of changed quite a bit since then._ Gray thought, not for the first time.

"What are you working on at your new place? Is that why you didn't want to come?" Erza asked.

"Huh? Who said I didn't want to-" Gray started.

"You seem like you're troubled by something. I figured you were annoyed to have to leave your new place for the party." Erza interrupted.

"Not really. The party's not so bad. I'm just...trying to figure something out I guess." Gray explained, his grumpy or cheerful pretences disappearing for a moment, revealing a troubled look in the young boy's grey-blue eyes.

"Maybe I could help?" Erza offered.

"No." Gray declined immediately.

"What is it?" Erza asked insistently.

Realizing he'd already mentioned a little to Cana and that Erza would likely ask until he gave or some kind of answer he turned to her and sighed.

"The house is really good...but it feels...wrong. I don't know...it doesn't really matter though." Gray explained.

"Wrong as in what?" Erza asked, moving closer to her friend.

"I don't know Erza! Really, it doesn't matter." Gray said shrugging.

"Sure it does. For the same reasons we're going to stay and help Natsu clean up." Erza replied.

Gray shrugged, rolling his eyes, and then he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Tell me." Erza insisted.

Gray sighed in frustration at the girl's stubbornness, and it was worse that he knew if she got curious enough and stubborn then she might even get scary or violent to make him tell her.

"It's just...kind of empty feeling I guess." Gray admitted. "But really it's nothing-"

"I know what you mean." Erza interrupted nodding knowingly.

"Oh yeah?" Gray asked skeptically.

"Does It feel like that here?" Erza asked him.

Gray clenched his hands into tight fists at the question, then he looked around, seeing all their friends playing games and laughing and having great time.

Cana and some others were playing a game, but it was just paused as Natsu came running over excitedly with a large bowl of snacks.

"No." Gray replied, bitter about having to be compared with the flamebrain.

"Don't be so grumpy and down, mine feels empty like yours does." Erza admitted.

"Yeah?" Gray asked glancing at the older girl. "How did you fix it?"

Erza offered a bittersweet smile. Gray's face fell.

"I didn't. Not exactly. Gray, why do you think ours feel empty and Natsu's doesn't?" Erza asked.

"Because his is a total mess so it looks lived in?" Gray asked.

"No!" Erza said punching Gray on the head disapprovingly.

"Ow! What'd I do?" Gray exclaimed, still getting used to the girl's violent tendencies.

"Seriously, pay attention." Erza said with a sigh.

Gray held back from arguing that he _had_ been listening and sighed in frustration.

"I am." He whispered in frustration.

"Look around us." Erza instructed.

Gray followed Ezra's gaze around Natsu's new house.

"We're surrounded by our friends." She explained. "My house and your house don't feel right, but that's because we're staying there all alone, you know? It gets lonely, and we're still in some way even a little bit, used to having other people around." She explained, looking deep in thought.

Gray blinked his thoughts going back to his deceased parents and his master and Lyon, and even on his trip to Fairy Tail he'd often made friends that had come along for some of it. Gray felt hot tears sting his eyes but he held them back, refusing to cry in front of his guild mates.

Then he noticed how deep in thought Erza was.

 _She must be missing someone too._ Gray though his eyes widening in realization.

"B-but Natsu's living alone." Gray pointed out.

"I know." Erza said glancing questioningly at Gray as if she didn't understand his point.

"He just seems all excited he doesn't seem to think it feels empty and wrong." Gray explained.

Erza shook her head.

"You two have so much to learn." She said shaking her head and making Gray glare at her. "Gray, I've spent the whole time getting ready for the party with Natsu talking to him about how he's been feeling lonely!" She explained.

Gray startled and his eyes widened.

"That's why we agreed that we will all be visiting the guild everyday. We have the guild and they're like a family."

Gray winced at the word family. For some reason it stung, causing him to try extra hard to keep up his pretence.

"We're always going to have someone around the guild to talk to, that's why Natsu and I agreed we should spend most of the days with our friends and our houses are really just our sheltered place to sleep and live and store our things."

At that point Natsu turned seeing the two talking and he started to approach them.

"You see, Gray," Then she spotted Natsu and she shoved the startled boy beside Gray beckoning for the two to listen. "Gray, Natsu, while our houses are a nice place to stay and rest and store our belongings, and although they're our homes, they're just houses at the same time. Our true homes are with the people we care about."

Erza was so caught up in her little speech that she didn't catch the fact that both Natsu and Gray had rather sad melancholy looks, as the requip mage's words had made both boy's think of their families that they both missed so much.

Seeing Natsu's sad expression, Gray elbowed him playfully, wanting the dragonslayer to stop looking sad, despite how he himself felt really sad too, but he hid it well with his acting skills.

Natsu startled at the sudden jab at his side, and he turned to punch Gray, when suddenly Erza punched the two to the ground.

"Ow!" Both boy's cried out in unison.

"You two shouldn't interrupt." Erza scolded.

Gray and Natsu exchanged nervous glances, that turned to confusion when Erza smiled at the two.

"You see, although a house is a home, the real home is where your friends and family are. Those people help guide you, protect you, play with you, they're always their for us, just like we need to be for them. We're Fairy Tail wizards and Fairy Tail is like a family." Erza explained.

Gray nodded slightly in understanding.

"So...you're saying the guild and Igneel is more like my house than here is?" Natsu asked.

Gray and Erza facepalmed.

"Dummy." Gray muttered.

"What did you say freezerbrain?" Natsu demanded, the two glaring at each other, clearly about to fight.

"I said-" Gray started.

But Erza pushed between the two, shoving them back to the ground.

"No. You belong with your friends and family, Igneel and the guild, they are your _home_ , Natsu, and this is your house. Home is where the people you care about are." Erza explained.

Natsu nodded smiling.

"Makes sense to me, I think. What about you ya stinky ice block?" Natsu asked turning to Gray as they got up off the floor.

Gray smirked at the other boy, having already lost interest in Ezra's talk about how house doesn't mean home and how home is where your friends and family are, Gray was ready to just have some fun. Forget Ezra's tacky speeches. He'd hang out in the guild most of them time, he'd go on jobs solo and with some of his friends sometimes, and he had a house to stay in, but home would be a few places.

With his friends, his guild...Isvan...Ur... but the guild was here for him and wasn't going away. At least he hoped it never would.

"Someday I'll show Igneel the whole guild and someday he'll get to meet everyone!" Natsu exclaimed happily.

Erza smiled and decided that just this once, she would allow the two to have a small battle, but if it started to get out of hand then she would intervene.

"You'll never gonna beat me pinky!" Gray exclaimed.

"Oh yeah?" Natsu replied. "Fire dragon-"

Suddenly Erza grabbed both boys before Natsu could overdo things with a roar and burn down his brand new house and she dragged the struggling boy's into the other room to join in all the games, until it got late and they were the last three still there, Erza started to clean up while Gray and Natsu continued trying to break their ties in the board game they were playing, until she returned to ask them to help, only to find the two boys had fallen to sleep.

Realizing this was her first sleepover ever, Erza dropped the broom and got settled down after riding up the boy's board game and placing them in more comfortable positions, she lay down between the two, and fell fast to sleep, not bothering to finish cleaning or wake them up to clean up the mess until morning. They'd do the cleaning tomorrow, along with her plans of going through all the rules of having and living in a house, and if they had time, Erza was going to start teaching them other things that they could use in the future. Perhaps she'd see how well their fighting skills truly were? But for now the three sibling-like mages were fast asleep, exhausted from all the work, fighting, and playing.


End file.
